Need for Intercooler with MPT Tune if No Extreme "Baja" Driving

[reaper1441]

a cold raptor will make the exact same horsepower regardless of intercooler. I sell and build intercoolers. Until you start doing WOT more than a few times in a row the stock intercooler will be fine and a bigger one will make no more power until you've exceeded the thermal efficiency of the stock one. Which doesn't happen in one WOT run through the gears.

you're right.

If you are using simple, static condition math, it will not.

However, if you look at the IATs on a stock truck vs one with an improved intercooler, you'll deduce that IATs stay lower for much longer, and therefore the engine will run more efficiently for a longer period of time.

This is not a scenario that is specific to "running WOT over and over" in some sort of drag racing type scenario.

Environmentals that create this sort of scenario are pretty easy to encounter in a desert or any southern state. throttle position is not the only contributor to IAT, colder air is more dense and therefore if IAT is controlled more efficiently, the PCM can add more fuel and thus more spark, therefore making more power for that specific scenario than a less efficient CAC.

 

[zombiekiller]

a cold raptor will make the exact same horsepower regardless of intercooler. I sell and build intercoolers. Until you start doing WOT more than a few times in a row the stock intercooler will be fine and a bigger one will make no more power until you've exceeded the thermal efficiency of the stock one. Which doesn't happen in one WOT run through the gears.

couldnt agree more. it's pushing that point of declining power out as far as possible that had me wanting to swap the IC on my truck. When it would otherwise be pulling power with a stock IC, i'm now still pulling with power instead.

 

[smurfslayer]

you're right.

If you are using simple, static condition math, it will not.

However, if you look at the IATs on a stock truck vs one with an improved intercooler, you'll deduce that IATs stay lower for much longer, and therefore the engine will run more efficiently for a longer period of time.

This is not a scenario that is specific to "running WOT over and over" in some sort of drag racing type scenario.

Environmentals that create this sort of scenario are pretty easy to encounter in a desert or any southern state. throttle position is not the only contributor to IAT, colder air is more dense and therefore if IAT is controlled more efficiently, the PCM can add more fuel and thus more spark, therefore making more power for that specific scenario than a less efficient CAC.

Just to add to what I said, I’m not saying that Whipple’s CAC -adds- power, I’m saying that’s what they said in their posting here on FRF.

My point about the budget was that the intercooler was probably a better investment up front, tune later.

 

[Tlh235]

What i'm looking for now is getting my tune added and my truck not EXPLODING using the stock intercooler during daily commutes in the ohio summer(which isn't terrible most days). I will probably look to upgrade the Intercooler but i do want to do some other stuff first. So my budget can handle it, just not everything all at once. I have the Ngauge and tunes already purchased(truck is due mid april). I just pulled the trigger on the Bak Revolver X4 tonneau cover. I definitely want to get the front wheel mud flaps as I own a Wrangler at the moment so i do know about rock and dirt kick up. I also want to get the front windows tinted ASAP as i used to that in all my vehicles. My truck is gonna be Magnetic so i'm actually thinking about doing just the hood in a black satin wrap and maybe wrapping or even Line-Xing the fender flares. i line-x my Wrangler Fender flares and it held up amazing through rock and dirt thrown from tires. My main questions is would it be ok that i don't upgrade the intercooler at the moment being that i'm not gunning down a desert road for hours going 70mphs, i'll just be going to work and running distances of less than an hour 95% of the time. But if getting the tune would cause damage to the truck based on not upgrading the intercooler...then the intercooler needs to be purchased as a priority. I don't know much about the under the hood type parts when it comes to a 70K truck. The last thing i want to do is do damage that could of been avoided for the sake of another 1K for an upgraded intercooler now.

 

[nikhsub1]

Need is a strong word. Dnyos on many different turbo cars (and IAT logging) show that even a stock IC will get super hot on the first run and it only gets worse from there. The truck will just pull power when that happens, so no you don't need it per se. Ford chose an intercooler that just barely gets the job done in the way most users drive the truck. In the manual it even states that in hot weather and pushing hard to NOT mount a license plate over the intercooler vent. I'm of the opinion that the Raptor IC is garbage, too small and in a bad location. Call me crazy.

 

[zombiekiller]

What i'm looking for now is getting my tune added and my truck not EXPLODING using the stock intercooler during daily commutes in the ohio summer(which isn't terrible most days). I will probably look to upgrade the Intercooler but i do want to do some other stuff first. So my budget can handle it, just not everything all at once. I have the Ngauge and tunes already purchased(truck is due mid april). I just pulled the trigger on the Bak Revolver X4 tonneau cover. I definitely want to get the front wheel mud flaps as I own a Wrangler at the moment so i do know about rock and dirt kick up. I also want to get the front windows tinted ASAP as i used to that in all my vehicles. My truck is gonna be Magnetic so i'm actually thinking about doing just the hood in a black satin wrap and maybe wrapping or even Line-Xing the fender flares. i line-x my Wrangler Fender flares and it held up amazing through rock and dirt thrown from tires. My main questions is would it be ok that i don't upgrade the intercooler at the moment being that i'm not gunning down a desert road for hours going 70mphs, i'll just be going to work and running distances of less than an hour 95% of the time. But if getting the tune would cause damage to the truck based on not upgrading the intercooler...then the intercooler needs to be purchased as a priority. I don't know much about the under the hood type parts when it comes to a 70K truck. The last thing i want to do is do damage that could of been avoided for the sake of another 1K for an upgraded intercooler now.

you don't "need" it in your context. the worst you'll encounter, if there is an issue with the stock IC efficiency, will be the truck pulling power.

to validate, give MPT a call. Their customer service is pretty great. IMO, you should take the reputable tuner's advice above mine or anyone else's.